2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 ZR2: Towing With an Off-Roader
The 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 ZR2 is the all-new flagship off-road trim in the Silverado lineup. While the truck has a variety of off-pavement features, the two main pieces of hardware that separate it from all other half-ton pickup trucks are the front and rear locking differentials and the specialized Multimatic Dynamic Suspensions Spool Valve shocks. As experienced with the Colorado ZR2, the Multimatic DSSV shocks can be multifaceted in their performance. To see if that included towing on the Silverado ZR2, I decided a towing test with this off-roader was in order.
Related: Chevrolet Introduces First-Ever Off-Road Silverado ZR2
The Truck
The base price for a 2022 Silverado 1500 ZR2 is $69,995 (all prices include destination), and my tester was nicely equipped with the Technology Package, hard tonneau cover, off-road clearance steps, power sunroof and Multi-Flex Tailgate that brought the truck’s as-tested price to $72,770.
Many of the ZR2’s off-road and optional features reduce the payload and towing capacity of the truck, so it’s important to know as-configured capacities before towing. For trucks (and some SUVs), GM places an additional sticker in the driver’s door jamb titled “Trailering Information.” This sticker lists gross vehicle weight weighting, gross combined weight rating, rear gross axle weight rating, curb weight, max payload and various trailer weights for that specific truck. My test truck’s maximum payload was 1,258 pounds, not significantly lower than many half-ton trucks. It also lists a maximum tongue weight of 890 pounds and a maximum conventional trailer weight of 8,900 pounds.
One note: The owner’s manual states that a weight distribution hitch should be used for towing a trailer over 7,000 pounds. These numbers are quite good for a vehicle that can handle higher-speed off-road travel. Even though other Silverado 1500s with this powertrain can tow and haul more, always be sure to stay within the rated capacities.
All 2022 Silverado ZR2s come with the 6.2-liter V-8 with 420 horsepower and 460 pounds-feet of torque paired to a 10-speed automatic transmission. It also comes with a single axle ratio, 3.23. That axle ratio is not nearly as much of a reduction as is typically found in off-roaders or tow vehicles. The low 1st gear in the 10-speed compensates for this a little bit.
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The Trailer
I used a 4,700-pound travel trailer for this test with a tongue weight of just under 600 pounds. It has a fairly high center of gravity and a large, flat face with terrible aerodynamics. While this trailer isn’t very heavy, it typically returns the lowest mpg of any trailer I’ve tested because of the poor aerodynamics. (For my day job, I am a product engineer for Progress Mfg. Inc. in Utah, makers of the Equal-i-zer hitch and Fastway Flash ball mounts.)
The Route
Starting at 4,550 feet and peaking at 5,450 feet, this 64.7-mile route includes a mix of 7%-8% grades, city streets, highways and freeways. It starts in the bottom of a valley with 9 miles of freeway driving before switching to 5 miles of city driving. The remaining 18 miles of the first half is mostly divided highway going up a canyon with 7%-8% grades. The second half returns over the same course with the exception of a side road taken on the way up. This side road is very curvy, with 10% grades and a 25 mph speed limit. The test was performed in the early morning with temperatures around 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
How Well Does It Tow?
After topping off with fuel, the first driving task is to enter a 70 mph freeway with an uphill on-ramp. Even with the 3.23 axle ratio, the 10-speed auto and 6.2-liter V-8 had no problem getting the trailer up to speed and merging into light traffic.
While the weather was mostly good, there were a few small wind gusts from the tail end of a light rainstorm. Cruising on the freeway, these gusts were immediately felt; in this case, the off-road-oriented suspension was a little underdamped and soft. Some of the movement was from the aggressive tread on the 33-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory MT tires. I could feel the wind pushing the trailer and the rear of the truck leaning and moving with that push; it wasn’t unsafe or out of control, just a bit more noticeable than experienced in other trucks.
Transitioning from throttle to brake for the freeway exit, the Silverado ZR2 quickly downshifted to help slow the truck. Braking felt secure with no fade or other issues.
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Following the freeway portion was city driving with multiple traffic lights. In this section, the truck behaved exactly how I expected — with one exception: As I accelerated from a stop on one uphill portion, the tires spun a bit on the damp road and I had to reduce throttle. As always, I performed this towing test in two-wheel drive for maximum fuel efficiency even though this truck is equipped with an auto four-wheel-drive setting.
Passing through the city brought the highway segment. Speed limits are in the 50-60 mph range depending on the section of road, and it includes the short side road with steep grades. Again, the truck performed admirably throughout these two areas; the 10-speed transmission’s shifts were timely, quick and crisp. It seemed to always find the right gear at the right time and shifted quickly with changing throttle inputs. Once again, the softer off-road suspension was noticed, this time due to the higher-speed corners in the canyon. I never felt the need to reduce my speed below what I normally tow at, but the lean of the truck from the added weight was felt.
The downhill return trip was uneventful. On the steepest grades, the truck would downshift as needed to slow. Beyond the downshifting, little braking was required.
Upon completing the return trip and fueling up, 6.888 gallons of gasoline were used. The truck read 65.4 miles driven with an average fuel economy of 9.2 mpg. Hand-calculating the mileage based on 65.4 miles and 6.888 gallons returned an mpg estimate of 9.49 mpg, a little better than what the truck’s computer read.
The Silverado ZR2 performed quite well overall in the towing test. With power from the 6.2-liter V-8 sent through GM’s well-tuned 10-speed auto, there wasn’t much to worry about in the powertrain department. The off-road-tuned suspension does make the ride a little less controlled than other trucks I’ve tested, though.
We’ve all heard that “a jack of all trades is a master of none,” but the full quotation continues with, “but oftentimes better than a master of one.” That’s certainly the case with the 2022 Silverado 1500 ZR2: While the ZR2 certainly isn’t a master of towing in the half-ton class, at 8,900 pounds, it’s rated to tow more than the competitors’ top off-roaders.
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